Changes in Reality
by SilentHopeX3
Summary: What you have been taught all your life is all set in stone, isn't it? Fantasy is in a whole different realm from reality. At least, that's what I thought, until this happened. After RotK. LegolasOC. Please read and review!


Chapter 1

"**_It is unfulfilled dreams that keep you alive."_ Robert Schuller**

Hello to anyone nice enough to read this story. I have to admit, I don't know if anyone will like this story, but why not give it a try, right? I'm sorry if any facts (including some Elvish I'm trying to type in) in here are wrong, please go easy on me!

Please review and tell me if this story is good or bad… it's my first try at a LotR fanfic, ya know?

Oh, and the disclaimer: I DO NOT own anything from _The Lord of the Rings (all 3 of the movies and all the books)_, so anything you recognize from LotR, including quotes and such, are NOT mine… so don't sue me.

Now, on with the first chapter.

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Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

"No… no… get away from me!"

I wake up with a sudden jolt, not believing that it was the same dream, again- the same dream I'd been having for about a week already.

It always started with me on a flat plain or on top of a high mountain or whatnot, surrounded by different sceneries all around me, the scenery always changing with each step I took. Then, there would be a road, an everlasting road, going as far as the eye could see and dividing the sceneries into two halves, where I would be on one side.

It looked, well, kind of like a map to me, and I was the 'you are here' mark on it.

I would start walking, feet moving on their own towards the setting sun, which seemed to put me in a daze. Then, a car would pass by, as fast as lightening, pulling me out of that daze. Inside the car would be the people I know best: my mother, father, little brother, cousins, and my best friend Carol.

The nightmare would then begin.

The people in the car would split into two, as if they had been cloned by a mad scientist. One set of the clones would plunge toward me, pulling me into some kind of darkness.

When I think that I am about to fall into the darkness, I hear a voice, a gentle, warm voice scaring away the clones, but as fast as it pulls me out of the darkness, I am again sucked into another dimension.

This dimension is covered with trees- millions and millions of trees, with the sunlight just managing to peak through the leaves. This dimension, I discover, is an image that I've seen before- an image that I have imagined in my mind as what the borders of the _Lord of the Ring's _Elvin city of Mirkwood would look like.

The scenery changes once more.

It is suddenly pitch black, eerie shadows hovering above me. Out of the shadows come out a creature that I cannot seem to see yet. A foul smell hits me. Then, a little light would come in and I would be able to see the creatures: they were orcs.

Just when I think that they will plunge their swords into me, and kill me as well, the same voice from before is heard, pulling me up right before they touch me.

The voice is still echoing in my head. It was a man's voice, gentle, yet powerful, and had a melodious ring to it. I find myself seeking to hear his voice again and again, to figure out who that person was, and to thank him for saving me, but then I find that it was a dream, merely a dream.

And now, I am fully awake.

"Tiffany! Wake up, honey! It's already 9:30!"

"Yeah, sis, hurry up! Even I'm awake now."

The first comment is from my mother, the second is from my little brother, Alvin.

"Carol's going to be here soon!" my mom says again.

"Alright, alright… I'm hurrying."

I'm actually in no rush to get out of be, though.

Then, I hear the "Ding-dong!"

"Tiffany, that's Carol!"

I can hear my mom greeting her as I hurry up to get dressed- so much for not rushing.

I run down the stairs to see Carol waiting right by the doorway.

"Yo," I say in greeting.

"Tiff! I haven't seen you in such a long time!" Carol answers, using the nickname that I am very much annoyed by.

"Uh-huh, sure… let's go now," I say back. "Mom! We're leaving!"

With that, we walk out the door, not leaving my mom any time to say anything.

Now, Carol is my best friend- we've known each other since kindergarten, but we're almost complete opposites. Besides being in "advanced" classes and our love of _The Lord of the Rings_ trilogy (along with my constant obsession of Legolas Greenleaf which she doesn't get at all), we have nothing in common. I hate sports while she worships basketball as much as the air she breathes. Yet, she is always the calm one, while I get easily angered or frustrated, and I was honored that she was my best friend- a gift sent from the heavens above.

"Where are we going?" I ask, breaking the comfortable silence was had been walking to.

"Today's your birthday, isn't it?" She asks back.

Like she had to ask. Being as close as we were, I even knew the time she was born, down to the minute, and I was sure she knew the same. Where was she leading the conversation to?

"Yes," I decide to answer her after a minute's hesitation. "Why?"

"I want to bring you somewhere special," Carol answered calmly, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

"Special? You know I don't want you to spend any money on me today."

She nods, but I know that she will tell me no more until we arrived at the designated area.

We enter a forest clearing.

I come to realize that it is much like the forest in my dream, the sunlight just shining through. Weird. I had never noticed this before, not that I had actually gone into the forest in my sixteen years of existence. I contemplate on asking Carol if she was going to get us lost, but stopped myself before the words sounded out. I shouldn't doubt her. Being as athletic as she was, I wouldn't be surprised if she had climbed all the trees in this place.

I quickly run a few paces to keep up with her. I realized that my thinking slowed me down. The serene nature completely surrounded us now. I could not even see the entrance. Nothing but the fresh sound of wind and the high pitch chirp of birds and crickets could be heard. I want to say something badly, but the beauty of our surrounding stop me each time. How could I have gone all this time without knowing the gifts that engulfed our neighborhood? I would have to ask Carol. After we get there, I decide, and then I turn my curious eyes to take in the mystifying strangeness once more.

"Do you see it yet?" She breaks the silence.

"See what?"

"Sorry, never mind."

I sigh. I hate when she does that. She seems to be able to see and hear things better than the average human. She was so talented with her five senses and athletic skills, but did she really have to remind me of them on my birthday? I guess it was something I couldn't blame her for, though. Even her parents had said that she was just born like that. Some people get all the luck in the world.

As I listen more carefully, I hear a slight sound of pounding rain. A waterfall? As the forests opens up to a clearing consisting of a tiny lake with three waterfalls, Carol stops abruptly.

"We're here," she announces.

I take a closer inspection. Small iridescent flowers sprinkled the grass we were standing on like stars in the night sky. The three waterfalls, I noticed, were right next to each other, each as perfect as the others, as if they were man-made. The weird thing was, a feeling in me told me that it wasn't. The sunlight now hit the clearing directly, like the spotlight in the forest.

"It's beautiful," I comment, "but remind me why we're here again."

"It's your fifteenth birthday."

"Yeah… your point?"

She smiles that mischievous smile again. I swear she could easily pass for an elf in Mirkwood with her characteristics. I had a crazy idea that she warped world to Earth, but she denied it, of course. Still, I never gave that idea up. I had more incredible ones than that, too.

I slowly walk closer to the lake. It was so peaceful. I felt as if time stopped the very second I stepped into this area.

"Have you been here before?" I ask her, kneeling down to see my reflection in the water.

"Yes. I have been here many a times."

"And you have never had the time to show me?"

"I wanted to surprise you when the time was right." She sounds earnest enough, but I persist on.

"How about last year's birthday or the year before that? Or when we graduated junior high?"

I was happy one moment, and angry the next. I had absolutely no control over my emotions. It was as if I was schizophrenic.

"What time is it?" She was trying to change the subject.

I open my mouth to protest, but check my watch reluctantly. I was shocked. 10:54. Right to the very second. The exact time I was given breath to this world.

"Happy birthday, Tiffany," she congratulates. "Now I can finally do this."

Do what? Before I can even think of a protest, a splash of cold, dark wetness surrounds me. What the heck? I twist and turn, trying to break free of the iron grasp on my hands. What did Carol think she was doing? She was drowning me. I try to get above the water, to take a breath of much needed air into my lungs. As I surface, I am plunged immediately back down. Under the waterfall? I open my eyes. I must be going out of my mind. This was all a dream, just a bad dream… of me, dying.

I fought even harder, trying to keep air in my lungs. Natural human characteristics gave out on me, though, and the icy water pierced my lungs. I want to scream, but I can't. I fear took over me. This wasn't a dream, or a nightmare. My best friend was really trying to kill me, wasn't she?

I struggle against Death, but I don't feel it. Dream? Nightmare? Reality? Which was it?

My body is giving up. My eyes are closing. I am slowly drifting away into a dark void.

I hear someone say "I'm sorry" before the darkness completely engulfs me.

Why?

Someone… save me, please.

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So, how did you like it? It's going to be a LegolasOC later, but should I continue? Please write you opinions down. The little "review" button is just a click away!

Thanks for reading!

ChirikoFan


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